A greenhouse, generally a building in which plants may be grown, could have a noticeable characteristic of having one or more outer walls, a roof or both that generally allow light (e.g., solar radiation) to pass from the outside environment through the said sides, roof or both and on into the greenhouse interior (e.g., generally being transparent to translucent). The passed-through solar radiation may then be generally absorbed by green house interior structures, plants or both. While the plants could absorb various solar radiation bands (e.g., visible light, etc.) to operate in a photosynthesis condition (vs in a respiration condition in a lack of solar radiation/artificial light), the infrared band of solar radiation (i.e. heat) could be absorbed and then be radiated outward by greenhouse interior structures (convection heating of the interior.) The heat so directed may be retained in the greenhouse interior by the greenhouse roof and walls to produce a “hot house” effect to keep the plants suitably warm in a cold external environment.
With these capabilities greenhouses can be used for growing and sustaining various plant life such as flowers, vegetables, fruits, transplants and the like. Especially with increased of awareness in “going green” and having a more ecologically friendly and non-fossil fuel operating system and as well as increased awareness of providing natural-based plant food substrates through hydropic and other greenhouse-based growing means, there generally can be seen an increased interest in and usage of consumer or home gardening use greenhouses. These smaller (e.g., backyard) greenhouses may come in Do-It-Yourself (“DIY”) prefabricated assembly kits. These boxed or pallet-based kits generally provide many if not all the basic parts for a consumer to assemble into a greenhouse in a step-by-step process. Many times, these greenhouse assembly kits may little or confusing instructions that may be difficult for some consumers to follow. In addition, the actual greenhouse assembly can be both complex and physically demanding requiring a significant team support for assembly. These DIY greenhouses when assembled may lack sufficient structural stability such as having frame and structural support may not withstand even low level wind or snow loads. In addition, the present DIY greenhouse kits may further lack modular capability in that they lack the ability to have their capacity to be extended from the initial assembled structure.
What could be need therefor could be modular greenhouse kits that can be easily assembled by a consumer without significant team effort. Such kits could comprise of prefabricated panels made from foldable sections that could allow the panel to be folded upon itself. The folded panels could be place flat upon one another in an unassembled condition allowing those sections to be placed in a box. For greenhouse kits having a significant number of foldable panels, the greenhouse kit could be further secured to a pallet for transport and storage. The greenhouse kits could further include thorough, easy-to-comprehend and follow instructions that could provide a step-by-step assembly that generally does not requiring a large team support to put together the greenhouse kit. The foldable panels when unfolded could form whole or part walls, roof, ends and the like that could be locked together (e.g., with fasteners) to form an integrated and substantial greenhouse structure that could withstand significant wind, seismic and snow loads as well as uphold to other environmental impact factors. The modularity of the greenhouse kits could allow additional kits to be assembled that could be integrated into the original assembled greenhouse as needed or desired to substantially increase the interior capacity of the greenhouse as well as alter or otherwise enhance the greenhouse's abilities, footprint or both.
In at least one embodiment, one of the greenhouse kits could have one or more foldable panels be made from generally non-translucent or opaque material in addition to or in substation for the translucent section material. Foldable panels made of non-translucent or opaque foldable panels that could significantly alter, reduce, block or the alike the passage of the solar radiation into one or more parts of the assembled greenhouse's interior. In at least one embodiment, one or more sections forming a panel could be hinged together by adjacent edges to allow the panel to fold upon itself.